3 reasons the Chicago Bulls should let Zach LaVine walk

The Chicago Bulls are approaching a critical decision on Zach LaVine. Here’s why they should let him go.

It was a bit of an odd season for the Chicago Bulls, to say the least. As we reflect back on the season, the only certainty was uncertainty. It started with the fight between Bobby Portis and Niko Mirotic and ended with a feeble attempt at a tank.

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The Bulls’ approach to tanking this year was like that player in Texas Hold’em who bleeds chips all night. Every once in a while he gets lucky and takes a decent pot to keep him going for a bit. Yet, the end result is the same as he leaves down big — never having the guts to make a move.

As we sit 10 days away from the 2018 NBA Draft, the Bulls will soon be faced with a huge decision. Zach LaVine is set to become a restricted free agent and it’s rumored he will test the market.

However, the Bulls apparently have already indicated that they will match any offer to LaVine. Wait, do they really mean any offer? Even a max deal? Giving LaVine a max deal (or anything close to it) would be a catastrophic mistake.

The Bulls can ill-afford any catastrophic mistakes as they navigate the beginning stages of their rebuild. Each decision they make is magnified and will have tremendous consequences. So while they need to be decisive, they must be deliberate in the process. Fans can only hope John Paxson and Gar Forman have a plan for this rebuild. The merits of that plan are another story, but collectively they should have a vision they are working towards.

While I have no insight into what that vision might be, I am here to offer my opinion on whether it should include LaVine. My answer is simple — it should not. There are a number of reasons the Bulls should allow LaVine to sign with another team. We take a look at three of them below.